FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
BIDDEFORD, ME (November 26, 2024) – Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA), a nonprofit supporting older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in York and Cumberland counties, has welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors.
Ben Jenkinson is Vice President of Marketing Customer Experience and Insights at Martin’s Point Health Care. He is a marketing professional with a background spanning the retail, financial services, and health care sectors. Ben was drawn to serve on the SMAA Board because of the agency’s work to create a community where older adults are able to live to their fullest potential. His personal and professional experiences have connected him to the challenges faced by older adults and their caregivers, and he looks forward to lending his support to the organization.
Allison Kusel is Vice President of Long-Term Care Claims and Wellness at UNUM. She has worked in the long-term care insurance industry for twenty years, driving transformational change and improving the aging journey for older adults and their support network.
“I am thrilled to join the SMAA Board of Directors and will bring my passion for helping older adults experience a dignified aging process, which is a core tenet of the agency,” she shares. “SMAA’s critical work in our community to build social connections and enable independent living at home resonates with me. I look forward to many years of productive collaboration with SMAA leadership, other volunteers, and my colleagues on the Board.”
Craig Lennon is the Co-Owner of CarePatrol of Maine, which he joined after realizing the need for more support for older adults and caregivers. He has a proven track record of successful outcomes in organizational management, business management, client relations and customer engagement. Craig took on the role of caregiver for his mother and father several years ago. Through that challenging journey, Craig was introduced to SMAA, where he enrolled his parents in the Meals on Wheels program, received Medicare counseling, and signed his father up to participate in their Adult Day Program. Impressed with how these programs helped to remove some of the social isolation his parents were struggling with while also giving them a sense of belonging in the community, he was honored to accept a role on the Board.
“We’re excited to have Ben, Allison, and Craig as new additions to our Board,” says Megan Walton, SMAA CEO. “Their passion and expertise make them incredible assets to our agency, especially as we continue to expand our programs and geographic footprint over the next few years. We’re grateful to our Board, our volunteers, our staff, and our community partners for helping strengthen our communities.”
Southern Maine Agency on Aging is the central resource for older adults in York and Cumberland Counties. They provide meals, family caregiver support, expert advice on insurance and drug benefits, classes to help folks age well, and information on critical community resources. These services help individuals remain securely housed and active participants in their communities at a fraction of the cost of nursing home or institutional care alternatives.
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